Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Mushroom and Arugula Pizza with Goat Cheese

I still haven’t figured out how to make perfectly crispy pizza dough but I’m determined to keep trying. I think that part of my problem is that I love cheese so much that I overload it and then it gets all soggy. Regardless of the lack of crispiness, this was a delicious and easy dinner. I promise making dough from scratch does not take long and it is so yummy! If you are scared of yeast (like I used to be) this is a great gateway recipe. These toppings are just what I had on hand. Arugula is one of my favorite pizza toppings ever.

Mushroom and Arugula Pizza with Goat Cheese

serves 4

Pizza Dough

1 cup flour

1 ½ teaspoon yeast

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few moments until it becomes smooth. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let stand in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size- about 1 ½ hours.

Topping

2-3 tablespoons of pureed tomatoes

1 cup shredded mozzarella

½ cup cremini mushrooms, sliced

3 tablespoons chives, minced

4 tablespoons goat cheese

1 cup arugula

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees with a pizza pan inside.

Roll the dough out on parchment paper. Top the dough with the tomato puree, cheese, mushrooms, chives, and goat cheese. Transfer the pizza to the preheated pan and bake it for 5-10 minutes (my new oven is crazy and very unpredictable so it took longer than usual) until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is nicely browned. Once it comes out of the oven, top with arugula, parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil. Let it cool slightly before slicing and eating.